Bike it! Walk it! Santa Monica’s Next Generation on the Move
Pro Walk Pro Bike Sept 12, 2012
Introductions Alison Kendall, Kendall Planning + Design
Tara Griffith, Samohi Solar Alliance, Student
Gabriel Schier, SMASH Bike Club, Student
Peter Dzewaltowski, City of Santa Monica
School staff
PTSA
Community Success story: Bike it! Walk it! Days • 2007- Samohi Bike it Day
• 2009- Middle Schools join • Board of Ed SRTS Resolution
• 2010 10 schools with over 25% of trips car-free.
2011 14 schools with over 30% car free
2012 14 schools with over 35% car free
2007 Samohi 100 bikes 2009 Samohi, JAMS, Lincoln 300 bikes 2011 SMMUSD 600 bikes, 2900 car-free
Bike It Walk It Day
1. Promote safe walking and bicycling to increase physical activity
LA County Adult Obesity Rates
1997 2005
2. Traffic Safety Where it’s safe, get kids walking and biking
Where it’s not safe, make changes
3. Air Quality • Measurably better around schools with more
walkers and cyclists
• Main student motivator: Environmental concerns
1. Education: Bike Skills Class Teach bike skills
Create traffic safety awareness
Foster life-long safety habits
Includes parents, students and staff
2010-present
2. Encouragement Increase popularity
of walking and biking
Is an easy way to start SRTS programs
Emphasize fun of walking and biking
3. Enforcement: Crossing Guards
Increase awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists
Improve driver behavior
Help children follow traffic rules
Decrease parent perceptions of danger
4. Engineering: SRTS input Create safer, more
accessible settings for walking and biking
Bicycle Action Plan improvements
Safe Routes to School Workshops
5. Evaluation Is the program making a difference?
JAMS data Oct 2010 to 2011
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
2010 2011
DroveScooterBusCarpoolBikeWalk
Lincoln MS, JAMS, SAMOHI Participation – Spring 2009-11
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln JAMS JAMS JAMS SaMoHi SaMoHi SaMoHi
2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011
skate
bus
bike
walk
Santa Monica High School
Lincoln vs JAMS Bike it Walk it Day: (Pouring Rain vs Sun) Oct 2011
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Lincoln 2011 JAMS 2011
DroveScooterBusCarpoolBikeWalk
Participation by School: Oct 2011
Helmet use decline, biking increases
JAMS Helmet use since 2009 down to 61% from 75%, Lincoln use down to 70% from 85%
High School Rate 25%-45%, Elementary 64-100%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
JAMS Helmets Lincoln Helmets
2009201020112012
Develop a Safe Routes Action Plan
Identify priorities
Roles: City, District, School, Parent, Student
Resources
Access during Construction and Beyond
Principal: Suzanne Webb
Scope of Work: Replace one-story west wing with new two-story building including library, classrooms, chorus room and science labs. Modernize second floor of main building into new classrooms and science labs.
Architect: DLR Group/WWCOT
CHPS: 44 CHPS points targeted (District goal is 29 points)
Square Feet: New Construction: 33,302 SF Modernization: 7,928 SF Demolition: 12,694 SF
Construction Budget: $17,524,000
Relocatables: Completed
Technology: Completed
Modernization of Building E: Completed
Replacement of Classroom Building C and Site Improvements: 1st quarter 2012 – 4th quarter 2013
Lincoln Middle School Project Overview
4.23.12
Lincoln Middle School – Project Overview
New Courtyard and Entry
New Classroom Building
Reconfigured Entrance
(Alternative) Replace Field Resurfaced Tennis Courts
Reconfigured Fire Lane & Parking
Relocatables
Modernization of 2nd Floor Classrooms & Science Labs
4.23.12
Lincoln Access during Construction
Construction: Bike Access
Bike Racks and Bike Access Samohi: 100 bike capacity Bike it! Day 250 bikes
Lincoln : 50 bikes capacity; Bike it day: 100 bikes.
SMASH: 6 bikes capacity: Bike it Day: 80 bikes
V. ENCOURAGEMENT
1. Events
2. Walking school buses
3. Individual competition
4. Contests
5. Route map promotion
Encouragement programs
1. Events: JAMS and Lincoln celebrate International Walk to School Day Oct 2011
Local News and Video
2. Walking school buses, bicycle trains
3. Rewards: stickers, bike gear, healthy snacks
Foster life-long habits
4. Route maps
Student Leadership in middle and high schools Make it relevant
Encourage students to take ownership
Mentor student leaders
Civic engagement
Make it cool and fun!
Education programs SMASH Bike Skills Class
1. Educating school students Pedestrian and
bicyclist safety
Personal security
Health benefits
Environment
Pedestrian safety skills How and where to cross
Bicyclist safety
Preparing for the ride
Personal security
Health and environment Health benefits of
physical activity
Concern for the environment
Enthusiastic, well supported teachers
Lesson plans provided
Parent, student involvement
School-based education
School Based Bike and Pedestrian Training-2012-13
JAMS, Lincoln MS + 2 Elementary Schools
Walking School Buses and Bike Trains
Personal, Pedestrian and Bike Safety Workshops for students and parents
Walk/Bicycle Safety Education in PE class
Curriculum and Instructional Materials
Clubs and after school activities SMASH Bike Club 2010
Teach and reinforce safety skills JAMS informal “Bike Train” led by parent cyclist, formal program in 2013
2. Educating parents
Pedestrian and bicyclist safety
Safe driving near the school
School pick up and drop off procedures
Safe driving near schools, pick up and drop off rules
Strategies for reaching parents bikeitwalkit.org website, E-newsletter
Ongoing Programs Bike it! Walk it! Days in October and May
SRTS Task Forces at schools under construction
PTA Bike Helmet Promotion, Bike Skills Workshops
Smart Ways to School Outreach
Still Needed:
Affordable Bikes and Repair Options
More Bike Parking at every school
Ongoing funding and SRTS Coordination
Two Words: Bike It!
The Samohi Solar Alliance A student-run, grass roots
nonprofit working to inspire environmental awareness, education, and tangible change
Over 800 passionate students, faculty, alumni, parents, and community organizations
SSA consists of four subdivisions: Education (Environmental
Seminars) Structural Changes (Solar
Panels and Recycling) Outreach (Public Contact) Events (BIKE IT!)
Bike It! Basics
SSA took action to challenge the car culture on campus.
The resulting initiative took the form of two major “Bike It” events each year
Collaboration with the PTA, school board, the city of Santa Monica, and local businesses
A campus sensation at Samohi!
One day where alternative transportation is fully appreciated
All participants receive a popsicle during lunch celebration
Bikers receive free Biker Breakfast
Loud music and dancing
Success!
40% of school participates
Tremendous growth:
25 bikes average on rack in 2007
Over 100 bikes average in 2010
Gets students out of their car for the first time to experience how fun and easy biking or walking can be, making them more willing to turn it into a routine.
And Not So Successful...
Lack of Helmets
Difficulty in making Bike-it! Day on the same date across the district
Weather
A Growing Movement • Expansion to other schools in the
district
• First event had over 800 participants in middle school level
• Greater goals would be to spread Bike It! movement throughout the country
• Organizing middle school seminars to bring awareness about the environment
Three Steps to student-led Bike Training
SMASH Bike Club
Step 1: What do we want?
-Promote health and safety
-Encourage walking and biking to school
Three Steps to student-led Bike Training
SMASH Bike Club
Step 2: What do we need?
-7th grade Bike it Blog
-Bike it/Walk It day shows need for bike safety training
Three Steps to student-led Bike Training
SMASH Bike Club
Step 3: How do we get there?
-Permission: Teachers and Principal
-$$$: PTSA
-Awareness: Getting parents and students Interested through campus presence (Tables at events, flyers, newsletter blogs)
Challenges and Successes
SMASH Bike Club
Preparation Curriculum
Finding student teaching staff/teacher supervisors
Classroom visits/sign-up days
Challenges Scheduling
Location
Membership
Challenges and Successes
SMASH Bike Club
Successes
-3 kids off training wheels
-Higher elementary participation on 2nd bike day due to increased parent support
The Future
SMASH Bike Club
Get ‘em young
Continuity
-New leadership needs to be in place before old leadership leaves
Membership
-As extra-curricular activity it is hard to find enough members
-Attach bike club to established events at school
The Future
SMASH Bike Club
Cooperation
Schools
-Middle schools working together
-Middle and high schools working together
Off-campus Support
-Working with school district and city to take students off campus after school and take student-led training to the next level
City of Santa Monica’s Role Policy Development
LUCE & Bicycle Action Plan
Infrastructure Enhancements Bike Center & Beach Bicycle
Campus
Promote Safety & Encouragement Activities Support of Bike it! Walk it!
Days
School Coordination & Program Sustainability Participation in SRTS
Workshops School Construction Funding Resources
Bike Planning
“Bicycle Friendly Business”
Bicycle Training
Bicycle education is available to everyone
Public Awareness
New Infrastructure
Thoughtful Designs
Bike Parking
Bike Valet
Questions